The New Cucco In Town
by OutThereOtaku
Summary: When Palutena hears something is wrong with the future hero of time, she sends Pit to Hyrule to be the young boy's guardian angel. Link was always hoping for a fairy, but... maybe a new friend was good too.
1. A Friend With Wings

The New Cucco In Town

When Palutena hears something is wrong with the future hero of time, she sends Pit to Hyrule to be the young boy's guardian angel. Link was always hoping for a fairy, but... a new friend was good too.

Kid Icarus and Legend of Zelda crossover. This takes place before Kid Icarus Uprising, and a few years before Link's journey in Ocarina of Time. Link is only eight years old and Pit appears about 13 (though he's probably well over that, being a timeless angel and all.)

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own either franchise or the characters from them, and this fanfic will only be used for reader entertainment or otherwise.

* * *

x

xxx

x

"Can you see, Lady Palutena? There is so much green!" An enormous smile was slapped across Pit's face as he flew through the air. His bright brown hair flipped back in the wind and his arms were spread out Superman style. His wings were lit up in the bright and sparkling blue glow that indicated the goddess of light was helping him fly. The sun warmed his face as the angel took in a deep breath and dove into a cloud. Misty puffs evaporated around him, swirling tufts of white around his glowing wings. The weather was perfect for flying that day, against the pale blue backdrop of sky. "Its a lot different from the Underworld, that's for darn Skippy. I keep expecting Reapers to pop out at me."

" _Hee hee, I'm glad you're having fun Pit, but remember you only have two minutes left!"_ Palutena's velvety voice rang to the angel. It was sort of embarrassing, but Pit was an angel that could not fly. He could only do so with the goddess's power, and even then it only lasted five minutes. But hey, that was better than never flying at all! Palutena watched the angel from her temple in Skyworld, guiding him in his flight across the new land called Hyrule. She had seen these sights before, but to the young angel, everything was shiny and new. It brought a smile to her face to see Pit so happy. He had been through more horrors in the Underworld than any other of her angels, and deserved some much needed recuperation. Even as she thought this, the young angel was speaking again.

"So this is the place right, Lady Palutena? We've never gone so far from Skyworld... this must be pretty important." Pit said as he scanned the grounds below. He had seen some beautiful as well as terrifying places while on a mission to rescue the goddess of light, but this new place had such a surreal feel to it. From so high up he could see a mountain with a spiral of smoke surrounding the top. There was a large lake with crystal clear water running from a waterfall into a canyon. The green fields stretched out in every direction. He had never seen so many trees and lakes, as what lined the fields of Hyrule.

Palutena's heavenly voice called again, _"_ _It is important Pit. Probably one of the most important missions for us too..."_

"Why is that, Lady Palutena?"

" _You'll see once you arrive, Pit. At any rate, it will probably take a bit more time than you're used to."_

"That's okay. I'll do anything for you, Lady Palutena!"

" _That's so sweet Pit! I'll remember that the next time I need a cup of coffee."_

"Ugh... I'm even captain now, but I'm still picking up your coffee? I guess I'll never move up from that job then huh?"

" _Haha nope!"_

The angel had finally dipped under the clouds low enough to touch the treetops. In the distance, he spotted several flicks of black moving around. Pit strained his eyes to see that it was actually just a flock of dark birds in the distance. With the skies clear, they were clearly visible. Pit couldn't exactly change his flight route, but he was about to head right into the swarm of them.

"Holy Hera that's a lot of birds! Lady Palutena, can we steer, you know, AWAY from them?"

" _Huh... those must be some of Hyrule's baddies. You can shoot them if you need to, Pit."_

"What!? No way! They are just cute little birds, I can't pop any arrows in-" Pit's thought was abruptly cut off as the small birds began to gather around him. From every angle, tiny beaks poked into Pit's sides and hair, prodding at his white scarf and tunic. They made loud chirping noises in rapid succession, not unlike airship sirens sounding off. The creatures seemed determined to peck at him as if he were a giant piece of birdseed. Pit flailed around, in attempt to shake them off, but the tiny feathered creatures were flocking around him by the hundreds. Or fifties at least. Pit was probably exaggerating. "Lady Palutena, help!" he called out above the screeching. Without any control over his body, the angel took a nose dive straight downward. His bright eyes widened in terror as he fell like a torpedo into a mess of emerald coated trees below.

xxx

Meanwhile in the forest, a kokiri boy's face was drizzled with tears. He brought up a shaky fist and brushed them away with a sniff. His sky blue eyes were reddened from crying and starting to feel sore. He had been walking through the Lost Woods for some time, letting himself get more and more lost with each step. Well, he _would_ be lost, but he came here so often that he had nearly memorized the various twisting pathways. This boy, named Link, ran an uneasy hand through his blonde locks and adjusted his green hat. _Don't listen to Mido, Link! He's just a bully!_ He could hear Saria's sweet voice in his thoughts saying. The thought normally would have made the eight-year-old smile, but today even that wasn't stopping his stale tears. Link found himself in a familiar clearing with a single tree. Unbeknownst to anyone, he had hidden his treasure there. Getting on his knees, the little boy rustled around in the tall grass until his hand felt the smooth handle of the object he had hidden in the tall green blades. He pulled out the little slingshot and stared at it a moment before he brought himself to his feet. Taking the little toy in hand, he closed one eye and held it out, aiming for the tree where he had set up a little wooden target. The boy pulled a deku seed from his green pockets and put it into the band. With a quick snap, the seed went flying and hit the dead center of the target perfectly. He had been practicing of course, and getting a lot better. All of that wouldn't matter whenever Mido would mention a certain little thing... In the Kokiri forest, all of the children had fairies to watch over and guide them. They were beautiful glowing orbs of light with glittering wings that followed their partners wherever they may go. All Kokiri children were gifted with these fairies. It was sort of a rite of passage for a Kokiri to earn his or her fairy. Link was the only Kokiri boy without his own fairy. He didn't fit in... He couldn't fit in. Saria was the only one who would ever talk nicely to him. He was grateful to have her as a friend... but he felt that it somehow was unfair to her. That she was disappointed in him as well. That wasn't true of course, but the young boy could hardly be blamed for thinking that way.

Link's long ear twitched as an unfamiliar noise sounded from somewhere above. It was almost like a voice... But that couldn't be. Only Saria and himself had ever come this far into the forest... Then he heard the noise again, only louder. It definitely sounded like a boy screaming. He looked up to where an unusual white object was high above him. Suddenly that flash of white came crashing down into the clearing accompanied by another high-pitched shriek. It crashed into the dirt with incredible force and sent several birds flying off in fright. Link quickly dove into the grass to hide, trembling violently. His electric blue eyes strained to see the monster as he lay there in the grass.

"Ow ow ow ow oooooooooow! What's the big idea, dropping me here, Lady Palutena?" a boy's voice whined. A short distance away, Pit sat up and rubbed the back of his head. He quickly checked over his wings to ensure nothing was broken from his sudden fall.

" _Sorry about that, Pit. Your five minutes ran out, so I had to use a forced landing. Though, I think this is the perfect place to have landed anyway."_

"Eh, why do you say that?" The angel replied, cocking his head to the side in confusion. He felt an abrupt sting to the back of his head. Pit looked around unsteadily, about to draw his bow when another sharp snap hit him on the nose.

"Agh! What the-?" He looked down at the ground where the tiny brown seed had landed in the soft grass.

"G-go away monster!" A tiny voice called out. Judging by the tone of the voice, it was probably just a scared kid. Pit swiveled around to find the owner of the voice, noticing the crop of blond in the grass. He smiled a little and got down on his knees by the grass. This, he decided, would be much easier than dealing with Underworld baddies.

"Hey I'm not a monster! How about you come out to see? I'm really nice, I promise!" Pit said in his best sweet-as-honey tone. He stared into the grass as a little blond kid came out slowly. He looked to be around eight or nine years old, wearing all green attire and brown boots that were far too big for him. The first things that came to Pit's attention were the long elfish ears. The boy's electric blue eyes scanned the angel nervously, as if he wasn't so sure that Pit was telling the truth or not.

"Are you a... giant cucco?" The child asked suddenly, nodding to the large white wings on his back. Pit blinked his eyes and let loose a loud laugh.

"No, no, I'm an angel! My name is Pit, servant of the goddess of light!"

"Like the goddesses? Din, Nayru, and Farore?"

"Huh? No, I mean Lady Palutena! She's the goddess of light! Lady Palutena, can ya help me out here?" Pit glanced upwards nervously as he scratched the back of his head.

From far away he could hear the tingling of Palutena's voice calling out to him, _"_ _I don't think he can hear me, Pit. At any rate, this boy is the reason I sent you here. The goddesses he mentioned, I spoke with one of them earlier..."_

"You can do that?" Pit answered without realizing. Link took an uneasy step back. The angel was looking up into the sky, yelling to it intently. Link looked up, following Pit's gaze for what he could possibly be talking to.

Palutena continued anyway, _"_ _Yes, it's simple really. One goddess to another, I can communicate with all sorts of other worldly beings. She explained something interesting to me... I can't exactly give you ALL the details... but this boy is important. See if you can talk to him. Get him to open up a little, so we can find out whats wrong."_

"If you say so, Lady Palutena. You're usually right about these things."

" _You mean I'm always right, right?"_

"Uh... left?"

" _Ahem... I'll leave it to you, Pit."_ The angel looked down at the little boy again and a wide grin spread on his face.

"So, you never told me your name." He stated as more of a question. The boy looked down at his shoes and puffed out a sigh.

"My name is... I'm Link."

"Okay Link… hey wait a second… What's a kid doing in a big forest like this?" Pit said as he propped his hands on his waist. He could hardly even see the skyline beyond the thick green foliage above them. The small clearing they were standing in seemed to have multiple exits. He would be surprised if anyone could find their way around the place, let alone a kid as young as this. Link puffed up his cheeks and balled his fists. Pit blinked at the sudden change, watching those tiny blue eyes spark up.

"I'm not just a kid! I'm going to be a hero someday." With this Link jumped, hitting the air as if it were a monster. Pit's sky blue eyes widened with both excitement. This boy wanted to be a hero! An angel could totally help out with that! Especially an angel with as much experience as yours truly. He sensed there was something wrong though… oblivious as Pit normally was, he was pretty good at telling when people were upset. The red under Link's eyes kind of stood out too…

"Tell ya what Link, it's your lucky day! I'm going to train you to be a hero! There is no better angel for the job. I'm Lady Palutena's champion after all." Pit said triumphantly, grinning to the top of his leaf crown. Link raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "No really! I don't mean to brag, but I stopped big bad Medusa all by myself." Pit went on to say.

"Who's Med-oosa?" the little boy asked, drawing out the letters more than strictly necessary. Pit's triumphant bravado fell a bit, but he wasn't giving up! Link silently led the way out of the Lost Woods, surprising Pit with each confident direction the small boy was making. While the woods was beautiful, it was also confusing. Pit had a feeling he wouldn't be able to find his own way back very easily. Soon they came out into a serene looking forest. Small huts were placed around, each looking more like tree houses than anything. Link expertly jumped down from the high ledge, with the angel following.

"Aren't you going to fly away now that you're out of there?" the little boy asked almost bitterly, not looking Pit in the eye. The angel narrowed. Something was definitely up with this kid. He just had to figure out how to make it better. With that thought in mind, Pit grinned with a determined gaze.

"No way. I'm your guardian angel remember? I won't leave until you're a hero." Link sighed, but didn't offer any kind of reply.

"Oh look, the cry baby is back." a voice hollered from near by. Link's eyes went wide with fear. Pit was about to ask him what was wrong, but the boy pushed against his chest insistently. The little blond bowed his head insecurely and pushed harder, trying to get the angel to move.

"Go hide! Y-you can't let them see you!" the little kokiri practically begged with a crack in his frightened voice, trying to urge Pit to find somewhere to conceal himself. Pit looked around anxiously, quickly obeying the boy by leaping into a pile of tall grass behind a little hut. From his grass pile, Pit saw three other little boys approach Link. Either they looked a tad older than him, or Link was just short for his age. All three of them were also blond and wearing all green. The angel figured it must have been normal around this place called Hyrule. Come to think of it, a lot of the centurions looked alike too. It couldn't be that strange.

"Been hiding out in the woods, Link?" the taller of the boys spouted. His round, child-like face was turned up into a sneer.

"What do you want, Mido?" the angel heard Link's voice shaking, but trying to stay confident all at the same time. Pit strained to peek through the grass to see what his new friend would do.

"Were you looking for Saria, twerp? Give it up already. She only hangs out with you cause she feels sorry for you." Pit was tempted to leap out from his hiding place and give those bullies a harsh word or two. He watched Link carefully, waiting for the little boy to talk back. The little kokiri merely stood there, with his head lowered. He'd finished crying hours ago, but his eyes were red and puffy once more. Link didn't say a word as the other boy went on, "Whats the matter, crybaby? Not gonna say anything?" Mido and the two other boys with him snickered. To the angel's horror, Mido then reached out and shoved Link back a foot or two. Link didn't even look phased by it, as if it were an everyday thing. Pit slapped a hand over his own mouth to avoid shouting out. Judging by Link's reaction earlier, it was obvious he didn't want the angel to interfere. But why!? He could leap out and give the a scare, or at least tell them to knock it off. But Link didn't want those kids seeing an angel... He wouldn't tell him to hide without some reason for doing so.

"Lady Palutena are you seeing this!? This is nuts..." Pit whispered harshly. The goddess sighed in agreement, rather than giving any sort of reply. "Hoo boy. I guess I've got my work cut out for me, if I'm gonna help Linky out. He just lets those kids walk all over him!"

" _You're one to talk, Pit."_

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a doormat. But you know... Thats partially your fault, Lady Palutena."

" _I accept the blame. Anyway, you should probably talk to Link before you jump into anything hasty."_

"I hear you, Lady Palutena... but this is hard to watch. The poor kid..." Turning his attention back to the kids, noticing a loud laugh from the round-faced boy.

"Too bad the Great Deku Tree won't pick you. Who would pick a no-fairy loser?" Link grimaced, but merely stared at the ground instead of replying. Finally it seemed the trio was getting bored. Mido let loose a loud huff, roughly pushing past Link. The little boy looked relieved. The tension in his shoulders visibly fell as soon as they had gone. Pit took that moment to leap out of his hiding place. Link flinched a mile with a tiny shriek to match.

"Link, what the heck was that!?"

"W-what? I dunno what you mean..."

"Oh come on! Those kids were being bullies! Why didn't you say anything?"

"It wouldn't make them stop, even if I did." Link started walking, kicking a rock under his boot with a heavy sigh. Pit scratched the back of his head at the reaction. He would have to try a little harder to get anything from Link.

"Okay... well... what was this tree they were talking about?" Link whipped around to face him with bright eyes. Maybe this subject was better for him.

"The Great Deku Tree is the guardian spirit of the forest. He protects all Kokiri. Uh... that's what we're called. Kokiri." Pit might have been a stranger here, but he understood spiritual beings. In a way, he _was_ one after all.

"Ah okay. But if that's the case... why are they picking on you? That seems like a pretty cruel thing to do in such a spiritual place."

"Oh... I'm kind of different... I guess that's why. I don't have a fairy."

"You're gonna need to explain that one..."

"All Kokiri kids have a fairy. They follow us and guide us... Well... _most_ of us. I don't have a fairy." The gears were already working through Pit's mind. Link didn't have a fairy. That was something special and tradition here. While he may not have completely understood it, he could see why it was a big deal to Link. Pit put a hand to his chin in thought. He flapped his wings lightly behind him, and idea forming.

"Hey, Link, how about I be your fairy?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah! I've got wings. And I'm your guardian angel for a while. It makes sense to me!"

"You be my fairy? But you have big cucco wings... you're definitely not a fairy..."

"No, but I'm close right? And if not a fairy, I can at least be your friend." Link stared down at the grass. Angels really were nice. Everyone in the forest made fun of him, or ignored him. Saria was really the only one who tried to be his friend. He was beginning to believe that he was too different for anyone to like him. Now there was someone who wholeheartedly wanted to help him. When Link looked up again, there was a grin on his face.

"I... I guess I could use a friend."

"Thats the spirit, Linky!" The angel leaped up, feeling himself lift off the ground for a second as if in flight. He knelt down and ruffled the boy's blonde hair with a laugh.

"Linky? Eck that sounds girly."

"I've already started calling you that in my head! I can't just stop now."

xxx


	2. A Hero In Training

xxx

Every new spring, the Kokiri children took part in a beautiful ceremony. Once a year, the Great Deku Tree would commemorate the year by released its sprouts into the air. They would fly across the fields of Hyrule and plant lovely new trees wherever they landed. There was no higher honor than a gift from the great tree spirit himself giving the land new life. For the entire night of the festival, the forest would come alive with music, light and celebration.

So why was Link all holed up in his tree sleeping all day?! Pit was pacing back and forth in the small circular room. He glanced out the little window each time he passed it, seeing kids in green putting up decoration and running around with big grins on their faces. It was a beautiful day under the azure sky, and fireflies dotted the warm air. It was nearly noon already. In comparison, the tiny hollow tree seemed cramped.

"Come on Linky get up!" Pit was nearly jumping up and down in frustration. Unable to stop himself any longer, the angel jumped onto the small cot that the boy was sleeping on. Link's eyes snapped open as he was sent flying onto the floor.

"Agh geez... what did you do that for?" The little boy asked grumpily, rubbing his new found bruises. The angel was still jumping up and down with a beaming grin plastered onto his face.

"What did I—What did I do it for!? Look outside! Tons of stuff is going on and you're missing it!" The angel pleaded. Link merely rubbed his sleepy eyes.

"Oh that. Thats the Earth Gods Celebration. They do it every year."

"Oooooh it sounds like fun! Why don't you go and help them out?"

"No way. They would just laugh at me." Link laid back down on the white sheets with his back to the angel. Pit put a hand on his head with a sigh. He hadn't made any real progress with the child. Little Linky had agreed to be friends, but he still seemed pretty cold to the idea. How could he get him to open up a little? Pit brought his hand down with a snap of his fingers.

"Ive got it!" He cheered, a little too loudly, earning a harsh shush from Link. The boy whipped around to look out the window, ensuring that none of the other Kokiri had heard.

"Piiiiiit, they can't know you're here." Link scolded, his round face flushed.

"Sorry. But I got a great idea! You don't want the other Kokiri to see me right? But I want to check everything out... so what if I fly you over the forest? Then you can see it all out too!"

"I don't know..."

"A good flight will clear your head, Linky. Trust me! It works for me every time."

"Wha- hey! Wait!" Pit wasn't waiting to debate it any more. He knew this would do the trick. The only thing that would make it better would be flying without Palutena's power of flight. That brought the angel back to his plan. He hoped the goddess of light would overhear and lift them up just in time. Otherwise things would get painful when they both hit the ground. Pit hoisted Link up into his arms, thankful that he didn't weigh that much.

"Hang on, Linky!"

"No! Pit, stooop!" To the boy's horror, the angel ran out the door and jumped out of the tree house, lifting his wings into the air. Pit's expression quickly went comically worried, as they fell faster towards the dirt below. Soon his face would be stuck in the dirt. Link shrieked, and just before they could collide with ground, Pit's wings burst into a blue hue. The small angel and Kokiri were flung into the air as if a giant fan were blowing them up from the grass below. When he felt his wings steady out in flight, pit breathed a hefty sigh of relief. Turning his gaze upward into the clouds, he scrunched his eyebrows unintentionally.

"Lady Palutena? Thanks for the save but... why did you wait so long?" Link looked sideways at the angel, checking his expression for anything cryptic. Something was still weird about an angel talking to the sky like that. Pit waited as a long yawn echoed to his thoughts.

" _Sorry, Pit. I was catching up on my beauty sleep. Its a lot quieter up here without my favorite angel."_

"Huh... I can't tell if that was an insult or a compliment."

" _Maybe a bit of both admittedly. But back to you. Hows it going with Link?"_

"Could be better."

" _Hang in there. You'll think of something..."_ Palutena's voice trailed off, as if she too were pondering what to do about the situation. Pit returned his attention on Link, who was busy observing him with quiet skepticism. The angel laughed nervously, only just remembering Link couldn't actually hear the goddess of light like he could. The angel instead chuckled, shifting himself in the air to lift the little boy higher.

"Feel that breeze!" The angel told him, earning a broad blue expression.

"I-I don't like it," Link choked. The little Kokiri screwed his eyes shut. He was gripping the angel's scarf for dear life, only barely not strangling him in the process. It reminded Pit a lot of his own first time flying. Except, he never had anything to hold onto. For Pit, the sky meant more than being a simple blue backdrop. It was the very symbol of freedom itself. Five minutes would never be enough to show Link how unbelievable the sky could be, but it was a start. It wasn't quite as awing as Skyworld of course, but the air was statically beautiful just about anywhere.

"Don't think about the height. Just look around," the angel instructed calmly. Slowly one blue pupil peeked open. When Link decided it was safe, the other one followed. His blonde hair was flicked back with the soft breeze on his face. His round cheeks were flushed from the cool air. His small hands loosened their tight hold slightly as he peered around the vast ocean of blue. The panic in his eyes had all but faded, instead replaced by a curious wonder. From so high of the ground, the Kokiri forest seemed like a sleeping island of trees. Even the Great Deku Tree himself looked more like a tiny sprout than a proud oak. The other children of the forest flitted about like bright green and yellow butterflies just learning to fly. The lamps they had set up around the village were just being lit, sending gleaming specks of orange spattering across the huge expanse of lush greenery. The little rope bridges and fences were more like broken spiderwebs, and the pond a mere bucket of water compared to the lake Pit had seen on the way here.

"It all looks so... small," Link said aloud pensively.

"When you're so high up, I guess a lot of stuff looks that way."

"But you get to see thing like this all the time, don't you?"

"Yeah. But I'll never get tired of it." The angel beamed down at all the pretty sights. Sure, Palutena had taken him to all kinds of gorgeous places... but five minutes just wasn't enough to see it all. If he could fly on his own, Pit knew the first thing he would do. See it all. Everything the world had to offer. Any world really. Link's troubled puff brought him back from his daydreaming.

"Do you ever feel small, with everything around you being so big?"

"Heeeey, are you callin _me_ short, shorty?"

"Nooo, I mean. From down there everything is so big. It must be nice to see it this way instead, right?" Pit looked back down to let his sky blue gaze rest on the tiny huts that were so much bigger up close. Linky had a point. He was pretty short next to the other Kokiri. To a kid, the place was enormous, even if it wasn't on the outside. Maybe his real problem was that he felt like the world was too big for him. With such a big place to explore, it was probably pretty scary. It gave Pit something to think on. The first thing to do when solving a problem was to know what the problem was after all. Now he just had to figure out what he could do about it. He didn't want to fail this. Being a guardian angel wasn't going to be easy. But the most rewarding things were usually a little difficult, so they said. If anyone could fix a problem like this, surely an angel could. But could _Pit_ do it? The only answer he could allow was a big triumphant 'yes'. This was the same angel who had not only saved hundreds of Centurions and the goddess of light, but also defeated tyrants like Hewdraw, Thanatos, and the queen of the underworld herself. If he could do that, he could sure as Hera handle helping a friend in their time of need. The first thing to do would be to cheer the little guy up.

"Uh, Hey Link? Does that tree have a face and a haha... a mustache?"

"Yup. Thats the Great Deku Tree."

"Hahaha that's awesome! Who knew, even tree spirits gotta look savvy!"

"You're so weird." Link laughed, and the angel soon found it contagious. Though his weak little arms were close to giving out, he wished he could stay uplifted for a little longer. Five minutes went by pretty quickly.

" _Sorry Pit, but I've got to bring you down."_

"Aw... okay." The angel answered the goddess distractedly. Pit felt the blue glow fading from his feathers. Palutena's elegant hand guided him downward until his sandals landed back on the soft ground. He set Link down, noting that they were back in the grassy yard beside Link's tree house. He reached up to straighten the leaf crown on his head and smiled back down to the green-clad boy.

"So? What did ya think?" The boy's eyes flicked up for a second, before retreating back to the ground as if he had suddenly seen something very intriguing down there.

"Well... I guess that was pretty cool..."

"Oh, cool? Just cool? Come on, I know you loved it!"

"Okay, okay. You're right. It was awesome." Though he looked like he was trying to hide it, Link couldn't stop a cheerful smile from creeping onto his features. Link might have been a quiet kid, but he was pretty expressive on the outside. He couldn't mask that even if he tried. Pit knew he could have him doubled over with laughter all in good time.

"Haha! Success for team Pit! Up top! Don't leave me hanging!" The angel held his palm up, nearly cheering again when Link jumped up to high-five him. Flying really was the best medicine. Either that or Pit himself was just too darn hard to stay sad around. Not to boost his own ego, but the angel would like to believe the latter of course.

" _Remember not to lose focus, Pit. We're here to make sure Link becomes a hero."_ Palutena reminded. The angel nodded to her knowingly. It was time for Pit to put his thinking crown on. He had to be the guardian angel that he had already boasted he could be. Operation make-Linky-a-hero would take some commitment. First they would need to cover the bases.

"Alright private, lets talk weaponry," Pit deepened his voice to sound as serious as he was able, standing at attention. Link sat cross-legged on the grass in front of him, watching with interest. Pit reached behind himself and grabbed his azure and gold bow. "To be a hero, you'll need to know how to fight! I've only got my bow with me, so we'll use that."

"I have my own slingshot you know."

"I know all about it! I've still got the bruise to prove it. But mine has a special feature that will help you out. I think."

"Huh? Does it even have any arrows with it?"

"Ohhooohoo silly, sweet, innocent little Linky. Does it have arrows? You—my green friend—are in for a surprise." The angel motioned for the boy to watch, lifting the bow into a firing position. Pit drew his hand back along the magical weapon, ghosting over the glowing drawstring. He paused a second for effect, as this was his favorite part. From thin air, a glowing blue arrow of electricity sparked to life in Pit's hand. He heard a gasp of awe from the green-clad boy and chuckled inwardly. He flicked his hand back and let his fingers slip easily off the materialized arrow. The arrow snapped off of the string, flying upwards into the open air. As it had reached a high enough point, the arrow busted apart into sparks like a blooming firework. Pit twisted back around to find Link eyeing him as if his "impressed meter" was ticking into the thousands. In seconds, the boy had broken into a toothy grin.

"Whoa! How did you do that!?" He exclaimed enthusiastically, as he began to leap to his feet. Pit flipped his arms into the air and bowed, pretentiously puffing his wings up behind himself.

"All in good time, my boy... class is in session. I gotta know if you can handle this or not, so first I'm gonna need to quiz you. Now, tell me, what is the definition of a hero?" The angel asked in his mock-Palutena-teacher voice. Pit was busying himself with pacing back and forth slowly, as his pupil sat cross-legged on the ground in front of him. The angel was taking this very seriously, even if there was a peppy smile slicked onto his face.

"Um... someone really brave who can save everyone..." Link replied, holding his hand up in answer.

"Hmm... well ya got the basic idea. But there's a lot more to it than that."

"Well... you told me that _you're_ a hero."

"Precisely! So you can take my word for it." The angel stopped in front of Link, folding his arms behind his back. "Being brave is a big part of it. Maybe it would help you to hear a story... Wanna hear about how I saved Lady Palutena from the Underworld?"

"Ooooh. Yes please." Pit internally jumped for joy. This was a story he had told hundreds of times to the centurions, but this was the first time his audience looked fully invested. Pit ruffled his feathers in delight, plopping down in the grass in front of the little boy. He braced his hands on his knees and beamed. He could not be more excited to tell it again.

"Once upon a time, I was but a wee sparrow in my home of Skyworld—"

"A sparrow? How were you a bird?"

"Hey, if you're going to interrupt me, this won't be much of a story."

"Sorry, sorry. Please, continue. So you were a bird..."

"I was a young angel. _Young-er_ anyway. Skyworld is this big and beautiful place reeeeeaaaaallllly high up in the sky. All of us angels live up there with the Goddess of Light, Lady Palutena. Shes a beautiful, kind, and benevolent goddess, with a heart of gold, you see."

" _Aw, thank you, Pit..."_

"Ahem... Lady Palutena's wish was for all humanity to live happily and peacefully. She saw to their crops each year, with her radiant sunshine. She made sure they were safe, and even sent us angels down to guide them when they most needed it. The humans loved her, just as much as we do. But, not everyone did... A dark goddess named Medusa seriously hated humans. She did a lot of bad things, destroying the humans crops and making chaos down on Earth. It left Lady Palutena no choice but to banish her.

"After a while, Medusa came back angry. She became a monster, with lots of hissy snakes in her hair. She brought baddies by the hundreds with her, and they attacked Skyworld by storm. Medusa kidnapped Lady Palutena, then she sent all the angels to the Underworld, including me. That was the scariest thing I've ever had to do... the Underworld was dark, and cramped, and confusing all over the place. I couldn't count on Lady Palutena to help me... so I was on my own. I had to work my way back to Skyworld, past so many baddies, it would make your head spin. There were monoeyes and reapers following me everywhere I went. I can't even tell you how many times I was turned into an eggplant."

"An... eggplant?" the towheaded boy interrupted with a snicker.

"Hey, don't knock it. You never know how bad purple fruits have it, until you become one yourself. But uh... anyway. It felt like it took me years to finally get there... actually it _might_ have been a few years... time is weird for angels. But finally I got back home. Medusa took over Skyworld, and had poor Lady Palutena was locked up in a bird cage. It was up to me to rescue her! The battle was rough... but after much jumping and shooting, I had finally defeated old snake hair herself and saved the goddess of light. Now of course, that's just the short version."

"So you really did all that?" Link asked, blinking his blue eyes in fascination.

"You bet your pointy ears, I did! All with this little baby right here." Pit patted his bow, as if it were a favorite pet. "And you too—can be an epic hero—just like me." The angel tossed his bow graciously to the child, who caught it with flailing hands.

"Why are you giving me this?"

"You try it."

"What? But I don't know how..."

"All you've got to do is focus on what you want, and believe that you'll hit your target." Pit hoisted the boy up, moving his arms to hold the bow properly as he explained. He'd been doing it so long, it almost felt strange to talk about it in such simple terms. Link knit his eyebrows and held the bow up, despite it being slightly too large for him.

"So all I have to do is think about it? And an arrow will appear?"

"You got it." The small boy breathed in a heavy gasp of air. He squinted one of his eyes closed, poking the corner of his tongue out of his mouth in concentration. Link eyed the hallow bark of his tree, pulling his hand back with the drawstring. With a gulp of air, the blonde let the string thwap from his hand, flinching when it nearly came back to smack him in the face. He looked up to Pit with questioning gaze.

"You can do it. Think about an arrow appearing there. Think about hitting your target." The angel reassured, "Oh yeah, and Linky... you'll see better if you keep both eyes open." Link flushed and held up the bow a second time, already feeling his arms getting sore. He pictured the pretty azure arrow that Pit had shot before. He pulled his arm back carefully. Out of thin air, a flick of electric sapphire sparked to life. Link's eyes popped open with near daze. He nearly forgot what he was supposed to do, quickly positioning the weapon to aim properly. The boy let go of the new arrow, sending it whizzing into the air, rather than hitting the bark as he had intended. He watched it sail upwards, disappearing in the trees above. He could only just barely see it crackle into pieces within the emerald foliage. Link felt his ears drooping slightly.

"You did it!" Pit congratulated with a loud whistle.

"I didn't hit what I was aiming for."

"That doesn't matter. The point is that you got the arrow to shoot. It will only appear if you believe in it—"

"AHHH!" a blaring shriek sounded through the thicket of trees, cutting Pit off in his inspiring moment. Link felt a pang of fear spike throughout his system.

"That sounded like Saria!" Before the angel could stop him, Link was running in the direction of the scream at full speed. Pit tore after him in a flurry of panicked feathers. It had to be coming from the Deku tree's clearing. The little Kokiri still hat Pit's bow in hand, gripping it tighter in his rush to find his friend. The thought of Saria in danger was enough to propel his feet against the grass. Pit ran after him, thankful for the endless stamina his small body contained. Link spotted some of the Kokiri kids running in the opposite direction, terror clearly marked on their faces. Even their fairies darted along behind them, sparking in fright. Link sped past them, barely batting an eyelash as they passed him. Pit ran along behind him, leaping onto the cliff above as they passed the other children. He still couldn't let them see him. He fluffed his wings down against him to make sure the white feathers wouldn't catch any attention. Link only skidded to a halt when he reached the Great Deku tree's clearing. A panic-stricken gasp escaped him as he took in what was happening. There was Saria, a pretty little girl with bright green hair, backed against the wall. Three large Skulltulas had escaped into the clearing, staring her down with beady eyes and hisses. Saria shrieked again, looking for a way around them. They had her trapped from all angles. Soon her gaze fell on the young boy, with hope shining clear in her emerald gleam.

"Link!" The boy ran as close as he dared. He lifted Pit's bow in hand, praying to the gods he could make it fire, as he pulled the string back. An arrow appeared as it had before, and the boy sent it flying after one of the Skulltulas. The arrow buried itself in the armored carapace of a white and black spider, making it hiss and fly backwards away from Saria. Now their hundreds of tiny eyes were focused on the boy.

"Saria, run!" he shouted to the girl. She quickly nodded, slipping past the beasts with hurried steps. The spiders spindly legs hastened in a charge towards the young hero. Link drew Pit's bow, too slow to avoid the spider spitting a cobweb at him. His arm was firmly strung against his torso. Link screamed in panic, struggling against the sticky webbing. Before the Skulltulas could reach him, he finally forced the webbing off of himself. The boy threw his arms up to aim Pit's bow at the charging spiders. He felt his heartbeat speeding away like a train derailing from its tracks. His eyes were wide with fear. Link readied to fire at the spiders, but the arrow never came. He tried again and again to make an arrow appear, but nothing happened. Not so much as a spark came to life as before. The Skulltulas were far too fast, knocking the child off of his feet with a strained cough. He rolled out of the way before black pincers could stab into his stomach.

From the corner of his eye, he could see one of the spiders turning away from him to chase after something. Link didn't need to hear the shriek that followed to recognize his bully, Mido. The round-faced boy had been throwing stones at the Skulltula, only serving to anger it more. Link ran past his own spider-trouble, leaping just in time to avoid his boots getting webbed to the grass. Link tore into the dirt to get away from them. Seeing no point in trying to fire, Link instead took Pit's bow in both hands and swung it round as if it were a sword. While it didn't hurt the spider, it did get its attention off Mido. Link shot a look at the other boy, screaming _go_ in every dramatic sense of the term. Mido didn't wait around to argue, rushing off the way Saria went. From behind himself, Link felt spiderwebs hit his back. The boy was jerked backwards. He swung his arm around to smack the spider again, only for its pincers to throw the angel's bow out of his grip. He felt fresh tears swelling in his eyes. The Skulltula held the child above itself, spinning more webbing about his torso. Link screamed until his lungs hurt. Suddenly, he felt himself hitting the ground. Pit had jumped in at last, grabbing his bow from the ground and into a firing position. With expert aim, the angel shot the Skulltulas in their soft bellies. With a firm determination, Pit shot one after another, until the spiders burst into smoke before them. When they were gone, the angel breathed a deep sigh of relief. He knelt down beside the boy to free him from the sticky white threads.

"Link are you okay?" he asked the boy worriedly. Link's face was distorted into pain. Not so much physical, as it was lingering fear. He opened his mouth wide, though he could not speak. His whole face was read enough to rival the darkest of cherries. He couldn't answer the angel, for the burning in his throat. At the soft footsteps behind them, Pit dove into a hiding place behind the great trees roots. Saria and Mido came running into the clearing. Saria was fixed with concern, rushing to the young boy's side.

"Link, are you alright?" She mimicked the angel's question. Link didn't want to show her his face, in its state.

"Geez, look at the crybaby." Mido bit. Though he had lost much of the conviction he usually had.

"Please stop, Mido. Link... its okay. You saved us, after all. Please tell me if you are alright..." Her hand was soft and comforting on his arm. The boy finally turned to her, willing himself to calm down. He still found himself shaking.

"But it w-wasn't me... I couldn't do it! I'm... I'm sorry, Saria." His eyes were still soggy. Link broke away from her, running away. He could hear her calling his name in worry, but he wasn't about to turn around any time soon. His fear was evolving into seething anger. He didn't want to be angry at anyone but himself. However, there was Pit waiting for him in the entrance. The angel grabbed him by his shoulders, before he could break off into a attempt to run.

"Link, hey?"

"I'm fine... let me go, Pit."

"Whats wrong?"

"Whats wrong!?" The young boy shook himself away from the angel. "I was scared. I couldn't do it. In the end you had to come and save me. I'll never be a hero, Pit. I'm just too..."

"No, no. Don't think like that. It was your first time. You just need a little more practice that's all—"

"Whats the point!? If I'm scared of those stupid things, I'll never be able to do anything! You were wrong about me."

"Link, I understand what you're going through, but you can't just give up on yourself—"

"No! No you don't understand! I'll never be able to do it whether you help me or not! ...Just leave me alone." There was never more venom in those electric blue eyes than in that moment. Link's quiet tone struck the angel like a knife through butter. Link's emotions were running away from him. There was a battle waging on within him. He wanted to be the hero. He wanted to run in there and save everyone with no problem. But the fear he'd felt... the utter panic... he felt as though he had run straight into a brick wall face first. Without another word, the little boy jerked away. He picked up his pace and ran off as far and as long as his small body would enable him.

"Link wait!" Pit followed after the boy in a flurry of feathers. He willed the guilt in him to subside, but it only kept rising. Link had torn off straight for the Lost Woods. Even as his green had vanished around the log at the entrance, Pit had lost sight of him.

xxx


	3. A Boy With Courage

xxx

"Lady Palutena I'm the worst guardian angel EVER!" Pit hollered through the fresh panic causing his throat to burn up. He was lost. Utterly and hopelessly lost. I guess you could expect that from a place literally called _The Lost Woods,_ but it made no difference to the situation. The angel let his feathers droop as he surveyed the latest intersection he'd come to. In the forest everything looked identical. Logs opened into new paths, high hedges blocked him from seeing very far, and the grass crunched under his feet as if it were laughing at him. Worst of all, Link was still nowhere to be seen in any direction. The poor boy might need the angel's help! And here he was, stuck in some maze.

"Okay... I'm POSITIVE I've seen that rock before!" he yelled with a growing fear welling up in his belly. That and he was probably a little hungry... yeah, actually he was totally hungry! He'd even eat a... a... a souflee! Okay maybe not... they had those weird red eye-bulbs after all. Wait stop it! Focus! Find Linky, and get out of the forest! That was priority number one! But could he find Link before nightfall? Was this forest dangerous after dark, like all the scary stories he'd heard? Oh man...

" _I'm sorry Pit... It seems like some kind of magical interference is blocking me from pulling up a map for you. We can't use the power of flight yet either."_ The goddess's voice chimed in the angel's thoughts. Pit puffed his cheeks out in annoyance.

"Okay Pit, you got this," the angel addressed himself in a sing-song voice, "You're gonna find Linky and get out of here lickity-splickity, easy-peasy couldn't be simpler." The angel forced a triumphant grin and pressed on. From the corner of his eye, the young captain spotted an object rustling behind him. He dove into defensive mode and rolled to a kneel, slipping his bow out instinctively. The tiny wooden creature squeaked and folded itself into a patch of grass to hide. Pit looked up confused and a bit relieved. The creature stuck its head up again to peek out at the angel. Though Pit didn't know it, this was a deku scrub. Its body looked like it was entirely made of wood, with orange, brown and green leaves on its head. The little creature stared up at Pit through curiously large, and very sad looking yellow eyes.

"Aw, hey there little guy!" The angel said, putting away his weapon for the time being. He put on a bright smile and knelt down near the scrub cautiously. The tiny deku cocked its head to the side and let loose a high-pitched noise of confusion. "Hey! Have you seen a little boy run through here? I gotta find him, you see its kind of important," Pit said to the creature. The scrub merely snorted in answer. Pit giggled and reached out a hand to touch the leaves atop its head. At this, the scrub flinched and shrieked in protest. The angel drew his hand back quickly with eyes wide.

"Eh okay okay! Sorry. I won't touch you then. So you sure you didn't see the boy with the pointy ears?" The angel asked again sheepishly. When there was no reply, Pit figured it was pointless trying to reason with the tiny creature. Before he could take more than a few strides onward, he heard soft shuffling behind him. He glanced back, noticing the deku scrub scuttling within his steps.

"What is it little buddy? Do you want to come with me?"

A high-pitched squeak.

"Well... okay! I guess I could use a little help here. Some company would be nice anyway." Pit held open his arms, expecting the deku scrub to leap into them. Instead, the creature jumped onto his back, knocking the angel to the ground. Pit didn't realize what was happening until the scrub leaped off again, this time holding his bright blue bow in its tiny round hands.

"Hey hey hey wait a minute! That isn't a toy you know! Please give it back!" Pit spat out through a mouthful of dirt on his cheeks. The deku scrub let loose a very satisfied whine and scuttled off quickly, deeper into the woods. "No no no no no no, come back!" The angel staggered to his feet and sprinted after the wooden creature. Unfortunately it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Pit looked around anxiously. Forest, forest and even more forest branched out in all directions, but the tiny deku scrub was nowhere in sight. It had all but disappeared, and it had taken Pit's bow along with it. Link was still missing, and a deku scrub had just stolen the only weapon the angel had taken with him to Hyrule... The angel smudged his face into a determined glare and trudged through the grass. "No problem," he thought aloud bitterly, "Now I just have to find Link AND my bow. Nooooooooooo problem."

xxx

Without really thinking about it, Link had found himself gravitating to Saria's favorite clearing in the lost woods. The boy found it slightly unnerving personally. There was a huge white stone directly in the center, embedded with a weird looking triangle marking. When he stood on it, the fireflies of the forest swirled around him in a greeting. Above a very dead looking tree was a black entrance way. Link had no idea where it could possibly lead, but he didn't exactly want to find out. Link sat on the lonely tree stump, looking down into his small hands. He grimaced, remembering how stupid he had seemed before. He also couldn't deny that if the angel hadn't been there, he probably would have been seriously hurt... maybe even died... it was a fine way to thank him by screaming at him and running away. Link brought his knees to his chest add rested his chin on them. He had already cried himself out. It was time to remember, he had to be big. He had to brave. He was just having trouble getting started.

There was a light whistle in the wind, almost like the chime of a far-off bell. Link's elfin ears twitched, dismissing it until it sounded a second time. This time much closer. Link eased himself off the tree stump and took in a deep breath. Down the narrow path he had come up from, the bell tingled a third chime, nervous in tone this time. It continued every so many seconds, growing fainter as it disappeared deeper into the maze. Link quickly followed the tranquil sound around the hedges, training his ears on the sweet melodic pitch. He knew the forest well, so the bell's path wasn't entirely strange to him. Instead of following a set path, it jerked into lefts and rights uncertainly. It was almost as if it were searching for something, and had no idea which way would lead it there. This only motivated the boy to pursue it. Without looking where he was going, the kokiri boy hadn't noticed the small wooden creature at his feet. Link came to an abrupt halt, as he tripped over and crashed to the grass face-first. He groaned at this new-found scratches on his knees and bare arms. The young boy rolled over to see that what had tripped him was a tiny deku scrub. Not only that, but it was carrying Pit's bright blue bow. Being in the Lost Woods so often had informed Link that deku scrubs were fickle creatures. A lot of them were rude and spat seeds at you as soon as look at you. Some were terribly shy, and would hie themselves straight away. Others were quite friendly, when it suited them to be. From the look of it, this particular deku scrub was a little thief.

"That belongs to my friend," Link elaborated as he sat up and rubbed his arm, "have you seen him? He has huge cucco wings on his back." The creature nodded furiously. The deku scrub began tutting and making little noises as if to say, _Oh yes, yes! That one was quite rude._ Link nodded slowly, though he couldn't quite understand it.

"It would mean a lot to me if you would give that bow back. He told me it was the only one he has here after all," Link said in a sweet voice. The deku scrub pondered on this for only a lingering second, before promptly tutting a curse and turning his back to the boy.

"I wouldn't ask you to do it for free, you know... would you settle for a trade?" At this, the deku scrub was back and dancing as it chirped in delight. Although one of its yellow eyes narrowed in suspicion. Reluctantly, Link reached into his pocket and brought out his own slingshot and seeds... In an instant, the scrub squeaked in offense, as if saying, _"you call THAT a fair trade? Its so dingy!"_ Link grinned a little, holding it up as if it were a prize. In a way, it really was. He'd made it himself after all.

"You see deku scrub, this is a fairy slingshot. It might not look like much, but its accuracy is spot on. That silly bow you have there doesn't even have any ammo, but this baby can use any kind of seed or pebble that you find lying around," Link bargained. He didn't need to tell the deku that Pit's bow didn't need ammo, and it was unlimited and ultra-powerful... those details wouldn't help his sales pitch after all.

"That bow may look flashy, but its too heavy anyway. Mine is much lighter and perfect for travel." Link continued as he pulled on the slingshots strap. He carefully knocked a seed into place and shot it at the nearest tree with a satisfying clunk. His customer was now completely intrigued. The scrub dropped Pit's bow and eyed the wooden toy with a look of approval. Bright yellow eyes turned up at the boy as the scrub made a gleeful chirp.

"Just tell me which way my friend went, and its all yours." Link said with a careful smile. The creature nodded quickly, moving over slightly and jumping up and down before a specific log opening. It was as if it were saying, _"Cucco boy went this way!"_ With a quick pat to the creature's leaf-covered head, Link handed his prized possession to the deku scrub. It bounded away before Link could change his mind. It would probably never realize that it had gotten the sour end of the deal. Link bent down and picked up the bright blue and gold bow from the grass. It felt much too heavy in his small hands, though the handle was smooth to the touch. Link thought of the angel, a bit gloomily. At least he could make it up to him by returning his bow. The thought brought a small grin to the boy's face. He carried on down the path the scrub had led him, wondering briefly if the tingling bell sound would return. Just as the thought had crossed his mind, he instead heard a high-pitched scream from farther down the path. It completely broke the utter silence of the forest. A shudder rose in the boy's chest as he realized it was the angel's scream.

"Please! I need to find him!" The boy whispered to no one in particular. Thats when the bell hummed again. It almost sounded like it was calling to him. Link quickly ran towards the sound, praying to all the gods it would lead him to his friend. Soon the path let out into a clearing. There was Pit, backed against a stone wall, a moblin aiming a spear at his neck. The angel was holding up his hands and grinning sheepishly, as if he were trying to negotiate with the piggish beast. Link's eyes were drawn to the large white cucco feathers adorning his back. Why didn't he just fly away? Was something wrong with his wings? Whatever the reason, Link grasped Pit's bow in hand shakily and drew it up to aim at the moblin. He remembered what the angel had taught him, keeping both eyes open. The corner of his tongue stuck out in concentration.

 _What if I can't do it? No... Its time to be brave... I can do this._ The boy pulled his hand back and watched the arrow materialize out of thin air, flying straight and true. It was like a beam of light, flowing in slow motion to the exact place Link had guided it in his mind. The sharp end buried itself in the moblin's back, earning a surprised grunt from the creature. Pit tipped his head sideways, beaming when he saw his savior.

"LINK!" The moblin turned around and focused on the green-clad boy instead of the angel. Wild anger was showing in its beastly eyes. Link shrieked and ran to the side as the muscular thing charged at him. He drew the bow again, trembling from every inch of his frame. He didn't have time to aim, so he shot the next arrow hastily. He wished and willed it to go where it needed to. He hadn't realized that he had shut his eyes, but he opened them slowly. The shaft of the arrow drove into the moblin's piggish nostril. Through the rage in the pig's eyes, the little boy realized it still wasn't going down. Link dove to the side as the moblin rammed its head into the wall. Its muscular arm caught the child and back-handed him into the ground. Link cringed, breathing heavily with fight-or-flight adrenaline. Lying down on the grass, the moblin was over him, about to finish him. Link drew his friend's bow one last time, taking a gulp of air into his burning throat. He aimed directly at the monster's chest. His fingers slipped off the newly materialized bow, and fired. Link gasped as he watched the moblin burst into a puff of purple smoke. It dissolved around him leaving the boy staring blankly in shock. His little chest was heaving in and out. He had killed a monster... He saved his friend. Now he felt as though he were about to be sick. Pit ran over in a panic and knelt beside him.

"Holy Hera, Linky are you okay?! That was so AWESOME! How did you find my bow? Actually, how did you find _me_!?" The angel questioned excitedly. The little blonde looked up, his bright blue eyes tearing up. He dove into a hug with a loud sob.

"I'm sorry Pit! If I didn't leave before... you wouldn't h-have-"

"Hey whoa wait a minute! Don't apologize! You just saved me!"

"You could have just flown away, you didn't need me to..."

Pit cringed and rubbed the back of his head, "Actually Link... I can't fly. Lady Palutena helps me fly, but it only lasts for five minutes. And that little wooden thingy took my bow... I didn't really have any way of defending myself. You really did save me, buddy." The angel ruffled the younger boy's blonde hair and grinned. Link stared up through his red eyes and rubbed them quietly.

"So you really do have cucco wings? They can't fly very well either." Pit smiled sheepishly and scratched his nose with a nod.

"I guess so huh?" They both laughed. The little boy handed Pit his bow, proud that he was able to wield it, even if it was for a short time. Link led the angel out of the Lost Woods, both awing and annoying Pit with his expert memorization of the various paths. It was already dusk back in Kokiri forest, where an orange and pink painted sky loomed overhead.

The angel noticed right away, the boy waiting for them in the hollow of the log leading into the forest. Pit hung back in the entrance, ensuring the other boy wouldn't see him. Mido uncrossed his arms and straightened himself upon noticing Link.

"Hey twer—I mean... Link." Link turned to his former bully, who happened to be staring at the ground intently with red sprouting from the tips of his ears. Link faced him completely, blinking in disbelief.

"Mido?"

"Don't get smart about this or anything but... thanks for... what you did back there."

"With the Skulltula? I'm sure you would have... done the same for me." Link lied. Mido would have sooner run the other direction than fight for anyone. At the same time, the blonde had never seen Mido actually thank him for anything. It was weird enough to make him want to listen.

"Yeah... and I'm uh... I'm sorry, Link." The taller boy' round face was nearly knotted with difficulty in just getting the word out.

"That means a lot to me, Mido." Link answered with a smile. The other Kokiri returned it somewhat, as much as he was able. As Mido walked off Link found Pit returning to his side with an angelic grin of his own.

"Hey whaddya know. Looks like you'll be getting some respect around here now huh?" The angel asked lightheartedly.

"Hehe. I don't think he'll change all that much... but for now, its kinda nice."

The Earth Gods Celebration was just beginning in the Kokiri forest. The glowing torches were brightly set ablaze in the early evening night. From the Deku Trees clearing, Link could see the sparkling green sprouts lifting into the air to be carried off with the spring breeze. Those seeds would spread throughout Hyrule and plant brand new trees where they landed. Link smiled down to himself. Maybe one day he too could see all of Hyrule, just like those tiny seeds. If they could survive and blossom into strong new trees, surely so could he. There was no need to feel so small. Even in an enormous world, being small was just part of a grander adventure. The little Kokiri boy looked up into the sky, just beginning to show its tiny stars. He thought he knew now... that bell he had followed in the forest to find Pit... that had to be his goddess, Palutena. Link was sure. Somehow she had guided him to where he needed to go. He may not have been able to hear her when she talked to the angel, but he knew she was there. It was likely that someone was keeping an eye on Link, just as Palutena was for Pit. He would never be alone, as he had once believed. He would always have friends to rely on when it mattered.

As soon as the two of them had reached his little tree house, the young boy fell into a peaceful sleep straight away. Pit sat on the little bed beside him, watching the steady rise and fall of his green tunic. Though he didn't show it outwardly, the angel knew Link had a rough go of it back there. He needed to rest up a bit. Pit wondered how long he could wait before his own impatience would take effect. He found himself yawning too.

" _Pit, good news. You've accomplished your mission! You ready to come back to Skyworld?"_ Palutena's velvety voice called to his thoughts.

"WHAT!?" The angel cried out a little too loudly, smacking a hand over his mouth to quiet himself. He glanced at Link, who hadn't so much as stirred from the outburst, and breathed a sigh of relief. Pit tipped his head back to look upwards, voicing in a whisper, "Lady Palutena... Does this mean..."

" _It means Link is ready to become a hero. Thanks to you, he now has the courage he will need to do great things..."_

"But how do you know, Lady Palutena?"

" _The goddess Farore is the one who asked us to come here. You see Pit, she is to Link as I am to you... just not quite as personal. This is what she intended for him."_

"Really? But why would she need us then? Actually... did Link even need me?"

" _Link is someone very special, Pit. Eventually he will be called The Hero of Time here. He just... needed a little push to be more courageous. I knew you were perfect for the task, so I offered Farore our services. It seems like I was right. You did an excellent job."_

"You make it sound like work... I didn't really do much of anything, besides make a friend."

" _Thats just what I mean. Link needed a good friend. He needed someone to show him how important bravery could be. And who better than you to give him those things?"_

"Huh... but... Do I really have to go now? What if he isn't ready?"

The angel heard a soft yawn from beside him, turning to see Link looking up at him with an uneasy sleepy gaze, "have to what, Pit?"

Pit pouted and looked down at the child, "Lady Palutena, she says I have to go back to Skyworld."

"Huh?" Link propped himself upright, rubbing his large doe eyes with his fists. It made the angel feel a touch guilty for some reason.

"I guess that means you're ready to become a hero Link." Pit tried to force a smile, though the thought of leaving now was weighing heavily on his shoulders. The boy looked up at him with a pout of his own forming on his small lips. The poor kid already didn't have that many friends, now here was Pit leaving him.

" _Don't worry Pit, you'll see him again. The next time you see Link, he will be all grown up into a real hero. So don't be too sad. Its hard to say goodbye, but you'll meet again,"_ Palutena said reassuringly. Pit light up like a Christmas tree and squeezed Link into a hug, swinging him into the air.

"Whaaaa wait! What did she saaaaay!?" The little boy laughed. Pit set him down and did a little dance of his own.

"She said I'm gonna see you again once you're all grown up!" Pit knelt down to ruffle a hand through Link's blonde hair. He felt very much like a big brother at that moment. As long as he would see Link again someday, everything would be fine. Link would grow up into the hero of time. He would have an adventure of his own, and even more after that. He was sure to make friends and enemies of his own along the way... but then... Link was a tough kid. There was no more doubt in Pit's mind. He knew this little boy could do anything. It didn't matter what the world threw at him. Link would be able to take it. The angel felt a swell of pride.

" _I admit... I'll miss him too. Hes such a sweet kid. Ah... are you ready, Pit?"_ The angel nodded and put a hand on Link's blonde head.

"Don't you worry, Linky. You're ready now..." Pit took his hand back, nearly thrown off his feet as the child hugged him tightly for the last time.

"Then... the next time, for sure... I won't let you down," Link sniffed, "I'll be a real hero like you someday. I promise." As he drew back, the boy beamed bravely. He wouldn't cry anymore. The scared child from the forest already seemed miles away from this new Link. Pit nodded confidently, taking a step back to flip his large white wings open.

"I know you will be. You may not need a guardian angel anymore... but I'll always have your back, buddy." Pit was smiling as he said this, but every word tore at his heart strings a little more. Pit took the last step backwards off of the little balcony. Just as before, his wings lit up with azure, carrying his lithe body into the cool night sky. Lady Palutena was already guiding him back towards Skyworld with expert grace befitting a goddess. Pit looked back at Link's tree where the boy was waving from the balcony.

"Don't you worry, Link. Someday you'll fly on your own too... I just know it..."


	4. Epilogue

xxx

Epilogue

xxx

Being an angel was a tricky thing. Even though they could look like a fourteen year old forever, time still passed away normally for everyone else. Hundreds of years could come and go, and to an angel it would still feel like just another week went by. Of course this time was different for a certain cucco-winged angel. Pit stared at the unfolded paper in his hands with excitement bubbling up inside of him, as if his stomach was the overflowing fiend's cauldron. This was the first time in years that Pit had received an invitation to anything, let alone a prestigious tournament.

"Super Smash Bros... Brawl? That's a weird name for it."

"Whatcha got there, Pit?" Palutena asked as she swiveled onto the balcony beside the angel. Her pretty emerald hair flipped behind her in the light breeze as she looked down over Pit's shoulder. Skyworld's gorgeous yellow clouds swirled into picturesque shapes against a sky that was blue enough to rival the ecstatic angel's eyes.

"I got invited to a tournament, Lady Palutena!" The angel grinned, showing her the letter. She put her hand to her chin in thought.

"Well it has been sometime since you've left Skyworld. Its okay with me if you go," she said with a sweet smile.

"Thanks Lady Palutena! Oh yeah er... you'll help me fly there right?"

"Of course! Although it seems like it isn't that far. You could almost fall for the whole trip."

"Uh... but you wouldn't make me do... _That_... would you?"

"Of course I would! Saves on fuel you know. With this economy I have to save all that I have."

"You do know I'm an angel... not an engine. Right?"

"Just messing with you Pit, you're too cute not too." She ruffled his hair affectionately, ignoring his protests.

xxx

It was Pit's last match of the day. He had already won several battles and was exhausted. There was only one more battle to go. He was ready for this. Then he saw his opponent and his eyes widened. There was Link. He had to be around eighteen, and incredibly handsome. He had grown into his heroic role well, carrying a blue-bladed sword and spinning it cockily in hand. Pit instantly beamed and ran towards his friend.

"Link, Link! Omigosh I can't believe its yoouhhhooowwaahh-!" Pit was cut off by the master sword nearly slicing through his neck. The angel leaped back and drew his bow apprehensively. He shook his head with a confused smile, "Link wait a minute! I know this is a battle, but can't ya even say hey to your favorite angel?"

Link's face showed a trace of confusion. He doubled back for a second with a slight smirk, "Oh, sorry about that. That's just how the last few battles have went, so I figured it would be the same here," he spun his sword again with a patient grin, "whenever you're ready is fine."

"Yeah..." Pit said more to himself than to his friend. Something seemed off, but he couldn't quite place why. "I had no idea you would be here too Link! Its awesome to see you again, I guess Lady Palutena was right! Though, she usually—I mean always—is." Pit grinned happily until he took in the confusion on Link's face. The green-clad boy ran a hand through his hair.

"Uh I'm sorry but... have we met?" he asked seriously. Pit took in a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Wait... what? ' _Have we met'_ he repeated inside his head. Link didn't remember Pit?

"LADY PALUTEEEENNNAAAA!" He shouted, causing Link to jump slightly with wide shock in his pupils.

" _Yes Pit, I heard..."_ the goddess said pensively in his thoughts. He waited for her to elaborate, _"This isn't the Link you met at the forest. He is a reincarnation."_

"Huh!? Wh-what does that mean?"

" _It means... your Link and this one are different... but the same."_

"Lady Palutena... that could not be more confusing."

" _Hmm... Then I'll put it this way. Its been a really long time...Humans aren't like us. Things happen... but life goes on in mysterious ways."_

"Wait... Lady Palutena... you're not saying that he... that Link is..."

" _...He isn't the little boy you met before. But I'm sure he is in there somewhere."_

"So maybe... we could be friends again?"

" _Absolutely."_

Link waved a hand in front of the angel's blank expression, "Hey are you okay? We can call it a draw for now, if you're not up for it." Pit looked up slightly at the other boy. He didn't want to tear up now. If this wasn't the Link he had met, he sure wouldn't have guessed it himself. The older boy had the same blonde hair, blue eyes and green garment fetish as the angel's young friend. Pit seemed to snap out of it, looking up at the now taller boy. In a way, this was still Link. He was different, but the young boy Pit had met was still there somewhere. It would be alright in the end. Pit rubbed his eyes before swallowing in a deep breath.

"I can handle it. Besides, I gotta see how much you've improved," the angel smiled in knowing. Link spun the master sword in hand with a small smirk of his own. The sheepish look on the Hylian boy's face seemed to mask the fact that he was still holding an all-powerful and legendary sword. He really was a hero now, but at least he would never At least that wouldn't change.

"I'm pretty sure I've ever fought an angel before."

"Maybe not. But I can tell you're a great hero. And it wouldn't be any fun if I didn't give you a challenge."

"Hehe I don't know about the hero bit but... I'm always game for a challenge. I gotta warn you though, I don't lose very often."

"Haha, boy do I know that." Pit readied his bow as the countdown started above them. Thats all he needed. Something familiar. It didn't matter how different Link was. It was an angel's job to be a friend through thick and thin. It was one task that this angel would never get tired of. After all, the young boy from the forest would never be gone completely. The memories and happy times would last for a lifetime. Legends could never be completely cut out. And somewhere along the way, the angel with cucco wings would find new ones in the most unexpected of places.

xXx


End file.
